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Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I
by Nicholas Hilliard (attributed), 1585. |
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I can only imagine the excitement and thrill of sitting for
any one of the great
portrait painters in history such as Bronzino, Velazquez, and
Sargent. But then my mind goes directly to the most pressing question, what to
wear?!
What a figure is wearing has a lot of bearing on the results
of a portrait. I mean, the stiffness and regal stance of Elizabeth I as
depicted by Nicholas Hilliard was not just the result of her being the regent of
England. Her clothing all but forced her to stand in such a way—she was wearing
pounds and pounds of fabric and a neckpiece that all but imprisoned her.
When painting portraits, an artist needs to reflect, on some
level, the likeness of the sitter, but he or she also needs to take into
consideration how they are depicting
their subject, and that speaks directly to body position and the way a person
is dressed. It doesn't make sense to paint an oil portrait of a person in
street clothes standing ramrod straight with nose in the air, unless you are
being ironical. In the same way, a portrait of a person in a business suit is
instantly going to be evaluated by viewers as someone being seen in a
professional role. A person curled up in a t-shirt and jeans on a couch calls
to mind an entirely different context.
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La Familia II (Sisters) by Tim Okamura,
oil on canvas, 84 x 74, 2006. |
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And the more flamboyant or outrageous the costume in a
portrait, the less likely I am to pay attention to the person first. That isn't
to say that I won't take in the specifics of the person
eventually, but visual interest is not something that comes equally to every
part of a work of art. You have to know that one aspect is going to grab
people's attention first, and decide on what you want that to be.
Knowing how to depict a person in anything from lounge
attire to an intricate costume is an asset for those of us who really want to make
the most of our figure painting. In Sketchbook
for the Artist by Sarah Simblet, the artist not only discusses the minutiae
of painting and drawing figures, but also how to depict costumes and clothing
in interesting and eye-appealing ways. So don't hesitate to adorn your next
portrait sitter with a glittery necklace or colorful headscarf. If the context
can accommodate it, give it a try with the tips from Sketchbook for the Artist. You will be opening yourself up to
working in new ways and only good can come of that. Enjoy!
P.S. In the honor of Halloween and all the outrageous costumes in artworks past and present, add a few of your favorite paintings that feature wild and crazy or beautiful and unique costumes or modes of dress to the online Costume Gallery I've created on Artist Daily. I've added a few of my favorites to start. Can't wait to see what we come up with!